Fruit of August
by Cryptographic DeLurk
Summary: Anzu has a job, a girlfriend, and a boyfriend, but she somehow gets stuck running errands for her own birthday. Life is, actually, very full. Mai/Anzu/Jounouchi.


**Fruit of August  
**

by _Cryptographic DeLurk_

 _.._

AN: Written for a couple of _fans_ who _kind of_ like these characters together – I can't be sure.

This was also (belatedly) published in celebration of Anzu's birthday – which was on the eighteenth of August. And Anzu's name means 'apricot', fyi.

I hope you enjoy. Read & Relax, as they say.

* * *

.

.

"Anzu, I promise! This will absolutely be the last favour I _ever_ ask of you!"

Anzu adjusted the phone on her shoulder, as she stripped off her leotard.

"Liar," Anzu said. "This probably isn't going to be the last favour you ask me for _today_."

"Anzuuu~" Jounouchi whined. "Pleeeaaasse!"

Anzu rolled her eyes. She pulled off her dance shoes and leggings and underwear, so she was standing naked in the changing room – rolling her eyes.

"Fine. Fine," she acquiesced, readjusting the phone, in her hand this time. "What is it you want, Jounouchi?"

Of course, now that she had essentially agreed to help, Jounouchi turned evasive and bashful.

"Well… eh… you see… It's kind of embarrassing. But, er-"

After fiddling briefly with the combination lock, Anzu pulled open her locker. She reached straight for her deodorant.

Jounouchi was still trying and failing to get to the point.

"And, uh~" he laughed nervously. "You see, Mai was gonna take care of it, but she just called to tell me she had a big break with one of her clients at work. And, uh, I know you're just getting done with your dance classes and…"

Jounouchi trailed off one last time, before finally coming out with it.

"Can you go pick up the cake we ordered for you from _Usagi-to_? I'm really sorry, but they close at five and- Anzu~ Pleeeaaasse!" Jounouchi started whining again.

Anzu groaned. "It's _my_ birthday! I shouldn't have to pick up my own cake! Why can't _you_ do it?"

"You know I have parenting classes with Sachiko." Anzu could practically see Jounouchi's wide eyes and dramatic pout from the other side of the phone line.

" _So_? Skip it," Anzu said. Even though she neither wanted, nor expected, Jounouchi to actually do so.

"Anzuuu~" Jounouchi said. "You know I can't! Sachiko and I are going to learn how to get her strapped into a car seat. The _right_ way this time. And also we're going to make homemade baby food together!" Jounouchi announced happily. "With tofu and peas! Isn't that right, Sachiko?" he cooed. "Here, Sachiko! Tell Anzu-mommy, that's right."

Anzu could hear Jounouchi shuffle the phone up next to Sachiko's face.

Sachiko gurgled into the phone and laughed happily.

"Is that right, Sachiko-chan?" Anzu played along. "Yes, I'm sure you're being a very good girl. I'll see you tonight, Sachiko-chan."

Sachiko giggled again, and then the phone rattled and Jounouchi came back on the line.

"And anyhow," Jounouchi added. "I can't skip out because I'm the life of the party at these parenting classes! The ladies would be devastated if I abandoned them!"

Anzu snorted, but smiled despite herself. She adjusted her hair in the mirror, smoothing it down with her hands. She pulled it out of its bun, and ended up tying it in a short ponytail.

"I thought they hated your bleached hair and mean face, Mr Thug," Anzu teased.

"I won them over with my enthusiasm and charm," Jounouchi retorted. "Now everyone wants to share homemaking tips with me. We exchange recipes. All the single moms want to know if I'm a widower in need of comfort. 'Why else would a guy be going to a parenting class?' they ask me." Jounouchi snickered. "I guess it's just my curse, to be surrounded by women – you, Mai, Sachiko, Shizuka... A manly guy like me should have manly friends, but instead I'm stuck getting cooed over by a bunch of women in parenting classes." Jounouchi snickered again. "Guess it's better than Yuugi getting stuck with the Kaiba brothers…"

"Oh, boo hoo, please," Anzu said. "Don't give me that. I know you're practically basking in all the female attention, you pervert."

"Sachiko!" Jounouchi said in a scandalised voice. "Did you hear that?! Anzu-mommy called daddy a pervert. Even though she's the one who started all this by seducing my very pregnant girlfriend! Is _daddy_ the pervert? Noooo. It was Anzu-mommy all along! You agree with me, right, Sachiko?! Tell Anzu-mommy you agree with me!"

The phone shuffled again, and Anzu could hear Sachiko gurgle on the other side.

"Don't listen to anything your father says, Sachiko-chan," Anzu warned. "You're a good kid, but your daddy's an idiot."

"Hey!" Jounouchi protested, taking the phone back. "You know I can hear you?!"

Anzu ignored this.

"If you keep calling me mommy in front of her, you know she's going to pick that up?"

For a moment, there was silence on the other end of the line.

Anzu arranged her street clothes against the side of her locker – lacquered sandals, a pink flowing blouse, and a pair of jean shorts.

"Uh, _yeah_ ," Jounouchi finally said. "That's _kinda_ the point, Anzu – to encourage her to start talking. To get her to _call us stuff_."

Anzu couldn't decide if Jounouchi was missing the point on purpose, or if he really was that dense.

"And she'll call us lots of stuff, won't you, Sachiko?" Jounouchi cooed. "'Cuz Sachiko's really smart and clever. And she's already got the best mommies. And she's going to the best parenting class. And she's going to go to the best schools. And-"

"You know people are going to think you're really full-of-yourself and braggy if you keep talking about her like that?" Anzu warned.

"Well, they'd be right then," Jounouchi chirped.

Anzu rolled her eyes again. Jounouchi might be just attending parenting classes now. But he already had years and years of experience being a mock doting idiot-parent to Shizuka. And it was probably too late to unlearn that now.

"So you'll pick up the cake then?" Jounouchi prodded.

"Jounouchi…" Anzu sighed.

"Anzu," Jounouchi replied.

"I'm all sweaty and gross, and the gym's showers are under renovation. I just want to go home."

"I'm sure you smell like a rose garden," Jounouchi reassured.

"Jounouchi, it's the middle of _summer_. And I just finished six _hours_ of back to back dance lessons!"

"I'm sure you smell like a rose garden _but-_ " Jounouchi paused for dramatic effect, "you can always towel off at the sinks. I know a thing or two about living without a real bathroom. You'll be fine."

Anzu sighed and reached for the washcloth she kept in her locker. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't really feel like cake," she tried, as one last bid to get out of running this errand.

" _Don't feel like cake?!_ " Jounouchi protested. " _On your birthday?!_ Inconceivable! Not gonna cut it, Anzu! Besides, Sachiko was really looking forward to eating some of the whip cream, even though the doctor said it was too early for her to eat the cake itself! Isn't that right, Sachiko-"

"You know, one day, Sachiko-chan actually _will_ know how to talk and you won't be able to use her to win your arguments for you," Anzu said.

"I have faith Sachiko will always be on my side of the arguments," Jounouchi replied seriously.

Anzu smiled.

 _Keep dreaming._

"So which one is _Usagi-to_ again?" Anzu finally asked.

"Yes!" Jounouchi cheered victoriously. "It's the bakery a couple blocks from where you transfer to the L-line."

"The one next to the stationary shop that sells Duel Monsters booster packs?" Anzu asked.

"You know Mai and me too well!" Jounouchi lamented.

"Alright. Alright," Anzu agreed. "I'll see you later then." She went to hang up.

"No! Wait!" Jounouchi protested. "We have to give Anzu-mommy some birthday kisses, right, Sachiko?! Here, we'll both do it through the phone!"

Anzu felt her face flush bright red as Jounouchi started making loud smooching noises into the receiver.

"I love you, too. Okay? Goodbye," she rushed out, and rapidly cut the call.

She buried her face in her hands and marvelled at how these conversations made her feel more naked than her actual nudity.

She rubbed the dry washcloth over her face, took a deep breath, and then went to wash off at the sinks.

.

.

Anzu adjusted the collar of her blouse. The back of it stuck to her neck.

She hiked the strap of her duffel bag further up her shoulder.

It was uncomfortably hot and sticky, and Anzu clearly wasn't the only one who wanted to be home, given how empty the street was.

But here she was, in front of the bakery, _Usagi-to Mochi_.

A couple of boys exited the stationary store next door, clutching cards from newly purchased Duel Monsters packs. Without thinking, Anzu surreptitiously glanced over their shoulders to study the cards.

Not subtly enough. One of the boys noticed her.

"Hey, Auntie, what are you looking at?" he said.

"Auntie?" Anzu questioned. She was one year older today, but not _that_ old.

"Yeah, you Auntie!" The boy clutched his cards to his chest defensively.

"Show a little respect!" Anzu scolded. She flipped her ponytail, trying to channel Mai. "I may have won a couple of hands of Duel Monsters when I was a kid!"

"Oh, yeah?" the boy said. "What are your favourite cards?!"

Anzu huffed. She thought about walking away, but-

"Dark Magician Girl, Magician of Faith, Harpy Lady…" she announced.

"Girly monsters…" The other boy, the quieter one, whispered.

"…Dark Magician," Anzu finished.

Their eyes shone.

"Oh," they said. "You have a Dark Magician card?"

"Sure do!" Anzu lied.

The boys seemed enamoured. "Well, I guess you're serious then!" The boy glanced down, at the new cards squished to his chest, and then reached out and offered them to Anzu.

"Wanna see, Auntie?"

They flipped through the cards together. Anzu explained some of the spell cards and couple of basic plays that she knew Mai favoured in tournaments, and talked about how _all_ her favourite cards were awesome.

When they finally parted ways, they waved each other off.

Anzu was pretty sure they all left feeling better than they had when the conversation started.

 _Pretty sure…_

It was four-forty when she finally stepped through the doorway to the bakery. She felt lucky, basking in the air conditioning. The store was otherwise empty, and she'd have just enough time to comfortably pay for and pick up the cake.

"I'm here to pick up an order under the name Kujaku," she explained.

"Oh, the Anzu-cake?" the baker said. "I'll have it out right away!"

Anzu blinked. She was pretty sure she hadn't told the baker her name.

Her suspicions were doubly confirmed when the cake was brought out, and removed from its box for Anzu's inspection.

It _was_ an apricot cake. Two layers, filled with real fruit and covered in white whipping cream. On the top, was half of a whole glazed apricot, roses made of frosting, and squiggles of orange jelly that spelled out _Happy Birthday, Anzu!_ next to a collection of little hearts.

It really was horribly cheesy. Anzu lowered her head and tried to stop the shame from covering her face.

"It's good," Anzu assured the baker quickly. "Do I owe you anything?" she asked.

"Nope. Somebody called in and paid credit in advance!" the baker reassured. "Don't forget your candles either!"

"Candles?" Anzu asked.

The baker reached for two separate bags of candles collected under the counter, and held them up so Anzu could see them.

One was a collection of wax ballet dancers, and the other a collection of Dark Magician Girls.

"I couldn't forget this cake," the baker explained, "because the couple who came in here to order it must have spent a half-an-hour arguing about which set of candles suited you better, before they just decided to get both." He smiled. "Your friends must care about you a great deal."

Anzu blushed.

"They do," she answered.

.

.

There wasn't any space left on the woman-only rail car, so Anzu ended up hunched in the corner of the regular car. She swung her duffel bag around the outside of her, to put some space between herself and potential gropers, until somebody was nice enough to take notice of her duffel bag and the cake, and offer her their seat as they were leaving.

Anzu sighed and sat down, hauling her bags up onto her lap.

She was half-dazed, sitting and waiting for her stop, and startled badly when her phone rang.

She reached for it, instinctively.

"Ah, hello?" she said, garbled, into the mic.

"Anzu, is that you?" Mai asked from the other end of the line.

Anzu blinked and tried to sit up straighter in her seat.

The subway train rattled and buzzed all around her.

It made sense that it was Mai. Yuugi and the others had already texted her _happy birthday_ messages earlier. And Mai had, of course, waited – let Jounouchi be the one to explain her inability to pick up the cake as originally planned.

"Were you sleeping?" Mai asked.

"Mmm," Anzu hummed in agreement.

"On the subway? You shouldn't. Someone might pickpocket you."

"I doubt it," Anzu said. "But, you're right, I shouldn't. I might miss my stop."

Mai harrumphed at this dismissal, but she let it go quickly enough.

"Happy birthday," Mai said warmly, but with just a hint of the crisp professionalism that made Anzu's knees weak. "How has your day been so far? I didn't get to see you before you left in the morning."

Anzu smiled. "It's fine," she assured, dodging the main question. "I know I wake up early… And you wished me a happy birthday last night."

"But still…" Mai said unsurely.

"You'll see me when you get home tonight," Anzu said. "And the official celebration with Yuugi and the others won't be until Sunday anyhow… And, even if for some reason something came up, I'd know you were sending your birthday wishes in thought," she reassured.

Mai seemed placated. "No, nothing's going to come up," she assured. "I'm just wrapping up at work for the day. I'll be done in an hour or so, and then it's just the commute."

"Jounouchi told me you had some good news with one of your clients at work," Anzu prompted.

"Good news and bad," Mai groaned. "En Corporation's lawyers finally agreed to go in for a settlement. So I had to set up the details and start preparing for the upcoming mediation – which will be approaching far too soon. Took up the entire work day. Blegh~" Mai complained. "Law is so much work, hon. I wouldn't bother if I wasn't so good at it…"

Anzu giggled into her hand. She knew that wasn't the only reason Mai had gone into legal work, but it was funny to let her pretend.

Mai returned the laugh, but it died out a little quicker than Anzu anticipated.

"D- Did Katsuya really make you pick up your cake?" Mai asked.

Anzu shuffled in her seat, slouched back and let her torso flop against the back of her seat.

"Mmm, I wouldn't say he _made_ me do anything," Anzu decided.

Mai groaned. "I _told_ him to just pick up something from the market! Making you run errands on your own birthday… _feh_!"

Anzu imagined Mai scowling on the other end of the line, lips pursed.

"Hmm," Anzu hummed. "And how did that go over?" she asked.

Mai harrumphed again. "He got all weird about it, since we'd already placed the order at _Usagi to_. Kept saying it was a waste of my money to get a second, less special cake. I told him I already knew that and didn't care, since it's _my_ money in the first place – but he wouldn't listen."

"Cut him some slack, Mai," Anzu heard herself urge. "You know why Jounouchi's like that."

Mai snorted. "I'll just have to _punish_ him for it later."

They both took a moment to let this properly sink in.

"You'll 'punish' him?" Anzu snickered.

"Yeah," Mai agreed headily. "'Punish' him."

Anzu glanced nervously to the sides, around the train. She held her hand up, to cover her blush.

"Isn't it me you should be 'punishing'?" She spoke into the mic as softly as she could. "It's _my_ birthday, so I think you both should be paying attention to me… _ma'am_."

Mai was silent for a minute. Then she snickered.

"That's what you'd like, huh? Well, then…" Mai clicked her tongue. "You want to hear about what I'm going to do to you later? And what I'll have Katsuya do to you later?"

This was getting a little out of hand. Anzu bit her lip. She clutched the straps of her duffel bag more tightly. She squeezed her thighs together and crossed her legs self-consciously.

"Uh, Mai, I'm still on the subway," Anzu said softly.

"And I'm in my private office," Mai replied pointedly. "That doesn't sound like a 'no' to me, hon."

Indeed, it was not. Not even one of several words they used for 'no'.

Mai waited patiently anyhow though, for verbal confirmation.

 _…_ _Or not so patiently._

"Make up your mind quick, hon," Mai urged. She was speaking in her most husky, seductive voice. "Or I might have to punish you for that, too... I don't have all day."

Anzu closed her eyes and gulped.

"Talk to me," she said, opening her eyes and turning to stare out the train window.

.

.

Anzu was so very close to home. The sweat dripping down her back had turned ice cold, as she entered the air conditioned interior of her apartment complex. The shivering heat and the blazing cold were almost as draining as the walk. The duffel bag swung heavily on her shoulder, as she climbed the stairs up to the third floor landing.

She counted the paces to her door, and shuffled her keys out of her bag with the same hand that was holding the cake.

And it was just how things turned out (Anzu hoped) that her neighbour, Watanabe Miyako, stepped out of the adjacent door at that very moment.

She caught Anzu's eyes almost immediately and approached.

Anzu stopped herself from sighing, and shoved her keys into the pocket of her jeans.

"Good afternoon, Mazaki-san," Watanabe said, bowing shortly.

"Ah, Watanabe-san, good afternoon," Anzu returned, bowing her own head.

"So… How have you been?" Watanabe-san asked.

"Uh, very good," Anzu replied. She shuffled the bags on her shoulder in demonstration – the plastic bag with the cake, and the duffel bag with her dance and exercise equipment. Watanabe-san already knew what she did for work. There was no reason to extrapolate.

"And you? How have you been?" Anzu returned.

"Well enough," Watanabe-san said. "The weather's been nice… if a little hot."

"Yes," Anzu agreed. "The weather…"

The slightest bit of an exhausted sigh escaped her lips.

Watanabe-san took this as an excuse to pounce.

"Haven't been sleeping well?" she asked. "Well, I can't blame you, with all the racket the baby makes."

Anzu felt her back stiffen, as she went on the defensive. "Oh, Sachiko-chan's not so bad," she said, trying to keep the edge out of her voice. "It was rough at first… But she's almost at five months now. She even slept through the night the other day."

"Ah, there's still a lot of noise, if you don't mind me telling you to keep it down," Watanabe-san complained. "I heard somebody stomping around before five am."

"My apologies," Anzu said curtly. She bowed her head. "That must have been me. I have to help open the gym up early, and my first class is at seven, so…" She looked up and tilted her head. "Jounouchi and Mai-san usually sleep in until later," she volunteered.

"Hmm," Watanabe hummed, unimpressed. "And how exactly do you know that?"

"We're roommates," Anzu said, not leaving in any space for further questions, she hoped.

"Ah, I hope you don't mind me asking, but…" Watanabe-san continued.

 _Yes. Yes! I mind very much!_ Anzu screamed internally. But Watanabe-san was older, old enough so that, even with courtesy of Anzu being another year older today, she couldn't match Watanabe-san's status and experience.

"…But how long do you plan on staying with your friends? They aren't married yet, are they? Have they been planning to…?"

This, Anzu didn't exactly know the answer to. She always assumed Mai and Jounouchi would get married at some point, but-

"They aren't married yet, but maybe…" Anzu replied. "Jounouchi would probably have to marry into Mai's family…"

 _Kujaku Katsuya…_ she considered. _No, it would never catch on. Even if he went through with it, Yuugi and the others weren't about to stop calling him 'Jounouchi' at this point._

Watanabe-san pursed her lips, but taking shots at Jounouchi's familial affiliation was apparently not the direction she intended to take this.

"You should maybe consider giving them a little space, Mazaki-san," Watanabe urged. "They're trying to start a family, you wouldn't want to..."

Watanabe trailed off meaningfully.

Anzu steeled herself. She frowned. Stood tall. Stood her ground.

"I intend to stay with them," she said. "For as long as they let me."

She met Watanabe's eyes, but couldn't decipher anything there. She turned away, and fished her apartment key out of her pocket.

Watanabe-san tisked. "Well, remember," she warned, "if you let a man get used to taking things, he'll take and take until there's nothing left… And don't think he won't leave, once he's through with both of you."

Anzu felt her face burn scarlet.

"And try to be quiet in the mornings, Mazaki-san," Watanabe-san finished, waving her hand in goodbye.

Anzu waved back briefly, and hastened to unlock the door. Watanabe-san seemed to be peering over her shoulder to look inside, but Anzu opened the door only a gap, slid inside, and shut it quickly behind her.

She'd made it inside. Anzu leaned against the door and exhaled, inhaled, then reached forward to flip the light switch. She waited for a minute, breathing deeply, seething, listening for Watanabe-san's retreating footsteps.

Then she shuffled her duffel bag off her shoulder, and hurled it at the cream-coloured wall.

"Mind your own business!" she yelled. "Fucking bitch!"

The duffel bag hit the wall with a dull thud and flopped to the floor.

Anzu felt her face burn, and it only made her more frustrated.

 _What did she have to be embarrassed about?_ Ashamed _about? What business was it of anyone's what she did? Just because some nosy judgy_ bitch _decided to get up in her face about it…_

She wondered if Watanabe-san had heard her outburst on the other side of the wall. Did it matter if she did? Probably not… In fact, it was better if she _did_ hear, Anzu decided.

She wondered if Watanabe-san heard them in bed, too. Did she think that Mai only moaned for Jounouchi? That they were only playing out some teenage boy's wet dream? Did she think Mai and Anzu were secretly straight, and only going through the motions with each other? Or that they were lesbians, and only using Jounouchi as a front?

Anzu looked around the room.

Jounouchi's dirty sneakers were piled up along the door. There was a picture of a dog he'd drawn for Sachiko taped to the fridge door. On the coffee table in the living room, he had a construction project in progress – a half-built model of a gundam lying on an old newspaper.

Mai's curling iron was lying carelessly, unplugged, on the sofa. There was a decorative mask she'd brought back from South America hanging on the wall. Her collection of Duel Monsters trophies were lined up in a display case in the living room. And there was a box of Swiss chocolates on the dining table.

Anzu had a DVD collection stacked by the television, and a wind chime hanging from the balcony. And, scattered across the wall, were her framed photographs – of dance performances, obon festivals spent with Yuugi and Jounouchi, her college graduation, and a group picture with her American friends outside a club in New York City.

If Watanabe-san thought this was all for Jounouchi, she was kidding herself. But maybe you had to be on the inside to see it. Maybe you had to look at the pictures and the chocolates and the sneakers and the _lives_ of the people involved to really understand. Maybe you had to come inside to see it. But that would be Watanabe's loss because Anzu would never, _ever_ let her in.

Anzu left the duffel bag on the floor. She removed her shoes, left them at the door, and went into the kitchen to stick the cake into the fridge. Hopefully it hadn't turned into a complete blob in the summer heat.

And then she went into the bathroom to shower. _Finally_ , she thought. After running and yoga and dancing and trawling the city for cake… Her clothes seemed encrusted onto her skin from the sweat and grime, and she peeled them off as delicately as she could manage. Her time in New York had prompted her to forgo baths, and she turned on the shower faucet and stepped directly into the lukewarm water.

It was a ritual escape from the difficulties of the day. The water flowed over her skin, and relieved her of the tiny frustrations and embarrassments and shames of the day. She hummed to herself in the shower. She observed the line of soaps and scents, conditioners and dyes, and let herself steal a little bit of Mai's shampoo.

Jounouchi came home first. Anzu knew because of the way the door slammed shut, and because of the music he put on in the living room – some catchy pop beat, with overwrought lyrics about love and family and friendship.

Mai's arrival was punctuated by an override of the music selection. She switched abruptly to a playlist of Hungarian folk intermixed with smooth jazz.

Anzu snapped her fingers and tapped her feet in time with the beat.

She dawdled in the bathroom even after she finished showering. She took time to paint her nails, selected a matte orange polish from the cosmetic's basket on the counter. She could hear Jounouchi and Mai and Sachiko bustling and chatting in the main sector of the apartment, but they allowed her time to compose herself.

She dressed herself in pyjamas.

"Oh good! You're here!" Jounouchi said brightly, when she emerged. He was holding Sachiko to his chest, and he leaned her slightly into Anzu, as he kissed Anzu on the nose, and then on her mouth in turn.

He broke away quickly.

"Perfect timing!" he said, and then leaned over and whispered in a pseudo-conspiratory fashion. "Mai just finished breast feeding, and you know how she gets all weirdly self-conscious about it. Better that you skipped out."

"Hey! What do you think you're going around telling Anzu?!" Mai scolded, from where she was sitting over on the couch.

"Nothing, Mai!" Jounouchi chirped, in a way that was obviously meant to hide nothing.

Mai grumbled, but she failed to hide a smile.

"Here, hold onto Sachiko for a minute," Jounouchi said, handing her over to Anzu. "I'm almost done setting out the food – I had to reheat the broth."

Anzu took ahold of Sachiko, and swung her up and down in her arms. Sachiko cried out happily, and Anzu pulled her down and kissed her on the forehead.

They didn't really smell as good as everyone said.

Anzu drifted over to the couch, and plopped down next to Mai.

Mai leaned over and pushed the hair out of Anzu's eyes.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Tired," Anzu said. "But not in a bad way."

Mai had slung her arm around Anzu, and was massaging her shoulder in tiny little circles.

"Early day again tomorrow?" Mai asked.

"Yeah…" Anzu sighed.

Sachiko gurgled and reached up to grab at Anzu's face.

Anzu let her for a moment, pretended to gnaw at Sachiko's hands with her gums. But then Mai took pity and reached out to take her daughter.

"Food's up!" Jounouchi crowed from the kitchen. He burst into the living room and hustled Mai and Anzu up off the couch and over to the table.

Bowls of soup and chopsticks were already set out on three different sides.

Mai stalled, bouncing Sachiko in her arms, and Jounouchi took a hold of his daughter and laid her down softly on top of the table.

"Are you sure you should do that?" Mai asked, placing a careful hand at Sachiko's side. "What if she rolls off?"

"I've got my eye on you, Sachiko!" he insisted, gesturing suspiciously at Sachiko, before looking away quickly to grab a couple things from the kitchen counter.

He handed out soupspoons first and then-

"Here," Jounouchi said to Anzu, passing over a small dish piled with extra garnishes. "I got you extra scallions, and fish cake… The rest I picked up from that one street stand downtown."

"Ramen." Anzu smiled, accepting the plate. "My favourite… You didn't have to."

Jounouchi and Mai shared a look.

"Yes. Yes, we did," they said, simultaneously.

Anzu huffed, put out by their united front. But she smiled to herself, as she sat down at the table.

Jounouchi and Mai were unusually tranquil at dinner. They abstained from their usual teasing and bickering, perhaps out of consideration for Anzu's desire for quiet.

Jounouchi sat Sachiko on his lap, and snuck her little sips of broth every so often. He ate the fastest, slurping the noodles and broth up loudly, and was quick to move the dishes to the kitchen and start preparing the cake.

Mai finished eating last. She scooted her chair over, so she was sitting directly adjacent to Anzu, and reached out to hold Anzu's hand.

"Did you enjoy your birthday?" she asked.

Anzu turned and gave Mai a half-smile. "Is it over already?"

Mai chuckled. She batted her eyes. "Well, I suppose I did promise you a couple of other things."

Jounouchi bustled back into the room, carrying the cake in his arms, and with Sachiko strapped to his back.

"Mai! Get my phone!" he instructed, nodding to where he had left it sitting on the counter. And Mai got up to grab it, and started snapping photos as Jounouchi set the cake in front of Anzu, swung Sachiko back around to hold her in front of his chest, and dragged his chair over so he was sitting next to Anzu. He maintained a manic grin at the camera the whole time.

"Cheese!" he insisted, knocking his cheek up against Anzu's so they were both squished together in the same shot.

Sachiko bubbled up laughing.

Mai sat down, and took one last picture, a selfie with all four of them, before putting the phone down.

Anzu's face flushed in the orange glow of the candles. The Dark Magician Girl candles burned, smiling next to the ballerina dancers, who held their positions in _attitude derrière_.

Mai sang happy birthday in English. Jounouchi sang it in Japanese. And then Mai knocked him lightly on the heel with her foot, and he started singing it in English too – only in the most intentionally butchered, tortured, and slow English that Anzu had ever heard.

Anzu was laughing too by the time the song was over. They all were.

It took Anzu several tries to blow all the candles out completely. Jounouchi leaned over kissed her wetly the cheek.

Anzu giggled and leaned into him. And then Mai turned Anzu's chin with her hand, and one-upped Jounouchi with a kiss on Anzu's lips. She pressed forward, pushing Anzu back into Jounouchi's side in the process.

"You never answered my question," Mai said, smacking her lips loudly as they broke apart. "Have you enjoyed your birthday?" she asked. "… _So far_?" she amended, smiling.

Anzu smiled back at her. And then turned her head up, to look back at Jounouchi and Sachiko, sitting on her other side and staring indulgently down at her.

"Yes," she answered. "I think I have."

.


End file.
